After receiving the intelligence, Chen Xing issued his orders without hesitation.
Xiaotajing Second would lead the operation.
Five elite jōnin, twenty chūnin, and fifty combat-ready Celestial ninja were dispatched. The Sunagakure base hidden in Maple Rain Forest had to be destroyed before nightfall.
If a force of this size failed, there would be no excuse.
---
Maple Rain Forest — Outer Perimeter
Despite its name, Maple Rain Forest was not filled with towering trees. Instead, it was dense with layered shrubs and low woodland, ideal for concealment.
As the sun dipped low, the forest was bathed in crimson light.
A Sunagakure scout stood watch along a narrow trail, staring at the empty road ahead. He had been on duty for half a day without seeing a single shadow.
"Tch… hurry up and send someone to relieve me," he muttered, already thinking of hot food instead of dry rations.
Then—
Flash.
A black figure appeared behind him.
Before the scout could react, his throat was crushed in a single motion.
He struggled weakly, fingers fumbling for a weapon pouch.
Too late.
The Celestial assassin slit his throat cleanly and vanished into the brush.
The body collapsed silently.
---
Moments later, nearly a hundred figures emerged from concealment.
"Ouda-captain," an elite ninja wearing a dark fox mask whispered, "if not for you, I wouldn't have believed so many scouts were hidden in terrain like this."
Xiaotajing Second, wearing an animal-patterned mask, scanned the surroundings calmly.
"Sunagakure relies heavily on layered reconnaissance," he said. "That's why Dark Division must move faster than their eyes."
He gave a short nod.
"We strike before dusk. There's no time to waste."
---
Sunagakure Forward Base — Maple Rain Forest
The Celestial forces closed in rapidly.
At the final perimeter—
BEEP—!
"Enemy attack!!"
The alarm shattered the forest's silence.
"They've been discovered," Xiaotajing Second said coldly. "Attack immediately."
There was no hesitation.
Celestial ninja surged forward like a flood.
---
Battle Begins
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spear!"
"Earth Release: Rock Cracking Palm!"
Explosions tore through the outer defenses.
Unprepared, Sunagakure suffered immediate losses.
But they were veterans.
Within moments, counterattacks erupted.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Wind Release: Beast Fang!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!"
Most of Sunagakure's ninja specialized in Wind Release. Blades of compressed air ripped across the battlefield, colliding head-on with Celestial formations.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Lightning Release: Ground Current!"
---
BOOM—!
Jutsu collided violently.
The ground shattered, trees splintered, and debris filled the air.
Explosions echoed endlessly as both sides clashed at full force.
The battle for Maple Rain Forest had fully begun.
---